


The Dragon's Lullaby

by merin_b



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M, Hate to Love, Love/Hate, M/M, Other, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, References to Depression, Slow Burn, and imagining a mary sue i guess, i need a job, ill try not to make her too mary sue tho, not beta read because we love being a clown, this was inspired by listening to too much movie music, what the fuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-12 17:42:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21480307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merin_b/pseuds/merin_b
Summary: There were stories of her. Sightings of a woman riding a purple scaled dragon. They called her, "the dragon's daughter"—a weapon created by the venatori for the destruction of Thedas.Common folk preferred not to talk of her, afraid it would somehow summon her, whilst the old woman would tell the tale to young children to frighten them.But she isn't a legend, and she is joining the inquisition to defeat Corypheus once and for all.
Relationships: Cullen Rutherford/Original Character(s), Cullen Rutherford/Original Female Character(s), Male Inquisitor/Dorian Pavus
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	1. She Weeps

**Author's Note:**

> yo this fucking sucks and has been in my drafts for literally 3 entire ass years. this plot came to me while i was listening to game music whilst simultaneously thinking of all the strong female characters i love. so yeah, meet the love child of daenerys, yennefer and scarlet witch. 
> 
> give it a chance and see where it goes. im making cullen a semi-cautious asshole for the first few chapters (not too ooc i promise) for the sake of ye old haters to lovers trope. 
> 
> enjoy xxxxxxxxx

> **Fiona**

The air smelled of mold and rain. The cold was seeping through her bones as she stepped hesitatingly through the mud. After being on the road for weeks, she realized the exhaustion of her paranoia was catching up to her. Slowly, but surely.  
Who could blame her? She'd lead her people into a trap. Maker, she'd presented them on a plate to their doom.

She should have known. For her son to see her the way he had; she was ashamed of her actions. Ashamed of her lack of trust in herself and others. Luckily, the inquisitor had given them a second chance. He'd given her a second chance to prove herself.   
So, here she was. In Crestwood. The single decision was a risk itself. Not only to her, but also to the small party of inquisition soldiers that accompanied her to ensure her safe travels. Maker, but she only hoped there would be no reason to be as alert as they were now; if everything was the same.. If only she were right about this.

Eyes narrowed as she looked up at the sky, she saw nothing but the endless rain falling down upon the marshy terrain. A sigh of relief escaped her lips and she set forward towards her destination, the cave nearby.  
She hoped it would've taken longer to get there, but after a few moments of clarity she found herself near the entrance. Two soldiers were with her, while the others were safely in cover.  
The soldiers behind her seemed to feel the nervous atmosphere radiating off her as well; they mimicked her behavior of moving on their spot.  
"Forgive me, but I believe it is wiser for me to.. go alone in there." the woman spoke softly, maintaining a leader's posture as she made eye contact.  
She could be mistaken, but it sounded as if one of them sighed in relief. The other, however, didn't want to give in so easily.   
"Are you insane?! We can't reassure your safety if you go in there by yourself!" his heavy Ferelden accent filled the night air and the woman cringed, hoping their objective was asleep inside so they wouldn't hear the commotion.  
"Do not underestimate me, ser. I have been taking care of myself all this time. The last thing we need is to start a fight. I can do this, but I need to earn trust. I cannot do so if there are two inquisition soldiers armed to the teeth at my side."   
She looked at him, glared even, until he budged.  
"Very well then, my lady. If you say so." he sighed in defeat. The woman offered him a sly smile in return. "Thank you. I will try to make it short. Wait here and stay out of sight." advised the woman before moving towards the opening of the cave. Her soldiers disappeared out of sight and followed her command as they found a suitable spot to wait out the encounter.

Meanwhile, the woman mentally prepared herself for all the possible outcomes. If this is the end, then I fully accept that burden.  
The cave felt more moist than Crestwood itself. However, she was greeted by a wave of warmth the moment she stepped further into the cave. She saw the small firepit and a bedroll, although that was all she saw before the person in question spotted her.  
"Who are you?! Show yourself!" the strange feminine voice called, as she was suddenly greeted at the sight of a fireball in the person's hands.  
The woman stepped forward into the light. The stranger let her fireball disappear into the abyss.  
"Fiona? What... How.."   
The woman seemed to be completely off guard, as her expression went blank. Fiona tilted back her hood and sighed. "Hello, Lunara." she said with a tone that could be mistaken for disappointment or guilt. A stranger wouldn't be able to tell the difference.  
Luna regained her senses slowly; a wave of hurt and anger flashed over her features.   
"Give me one fucking reason why I shouldn't kill you now." the woman named Lunara said, crossing her arms, still alert and in survival mode. Fiona couldn't blame her; after everything, she deserved to be put on spot.  
"I need your help. Not I—the inquisition. Ferelden. Thedas." Fiona let the words slip without thinking. Maker, she was going to ruin all of this. Lunara seemed to agree; she raised her eyebrow, as if insulted before speaking. "You best start talking before I bring Aranul here, Fiona. She doesn't like traitors mocking her and neither do I."

Fiona silently thanked the Maker for granting her mercy so she could furfill her purpose. Maybe she had been wrong and maybe Lunara was more reasonable than she cared to admit after all. It gave her a brief moment of clarity and hope. 

"I am here on behalf of the inquisitor, the Herald of Andraste. He expressed his need for a new counsellor and advisor, regarding matters of magic. However, he needed someone new, objective, out of his inner circle and companions. I immediately knew you would be most suited for this task, as you are skilled in your magic and know more about the enemy and their weaknesses. Furthermore, I believe you are called to this purpose. You are strong and quick to act—"   
"—Okay, I think I've heard enough, thank you. Really stroked my ego there. But you forgot one tiny thing. One thing I am utmost certain that you know of it."  
Fiona knew. Indeed, a lot of people knew.

"You come in here, barging about how the Herald of Andraste wants me in his service while it's actually you and your guilt that pushed him to that decision. You insult me, simply by being here. You should have thought about this before you decided to side with Alexius."   
"I didn't know this would happen! Th—" "Oh please grand enchanter, spare me your ignorant excuses. You allowed the venatori to take control over our family, and you had no idea? You certainly spare no expense at fucking things up for the greater good."   
Both of their faces were flushed; the tension was getting to them, creeping the air and their muscles.   
A moment of silence passed. It took Fiona some time to realize Lunara was crying softly. The mother in her immediately realized how guilty she felt; she could have been there. For Lunara. For the other apostates who left her side.  
She stepped forward and pulled Lunara in an embrace.

  
Lunara did not protest.

"They took me and others.. They tortured us.. All these apostates were being slaughtered, risking their lives for that stupid 'greater good' while you sheltered the others and allowed them to drown in self pity.. People were killed for this, can you not understand my anger?" Lunara sobbed into her shoulder, now returning the embrace as she allowed her emotions to run freely.  
A lump had formed in Fiona's throat. She was right. Of course she was right.   
"I am so, so sorry, child. I know I have been a foolish woman—Maker be my witness. I made the wrong decisions and now I pay for them. I am trying to be a better person. That is why I am here. I need you, but the inquisition needs you even more. You could use everything against the Venatori and its magisters."   
Fiona stepped back and sighed.

"Come with me to Skyhold. Atleast give it a chance. Use your healing powers. Your knowledge."   
She didn't know if she would cross the line here.

  
"... Aranul."   
At the mention of Lunara's other half, she flinched before chuckling. "Aranul doesn't like the cold that much, but I suppose I could ask her to join." she shrugged. Fiona grinned and nodded. She had never seen her other half, nor did she ever witness the social interaction between the two.

Not until now.

  
Lunara's eyes turned bright purple; it seemed as if there was light coming from her skull. She stood still, almost like she was sleepwalking. As quickly as it had started as quickly as it ended. 

  
"As I suspected. She loathes the cold." 


	2. Only Human

> _ **Cullen** _

The runner had come around noon. 

  
Cullen had gotten up early that morning, awoken by the familiar throbbing ache behind his eyes. His skull felt like it had been set on fire and his mouth had been dry like parchment. 

  
Now, he was trying his best to remain focused on his daily duties. He read through the letters and updates sent by Bull and Cassandra, who had persistantly taken over the training sessions yesterday—his withdrawal symptons had pretty much prevented him from doing much else, besides laying in bed doing nothing but shivering and vomiting.  
_Weak_. He felt weak and useless. He was supposed to be their commander; a force to be reckoned with. A beacon of strength and inspiration to his soldiers.

_What a worthy display of a commander_, he thought bitterly to himself as he massaged his temples as a desperate attempt to relief some of the tension there, yet to no avail.  
His head snapped up when he heard a knock on the door to his office and he quickly put on a blank face, masking the desperation and disappointment he had in regards to himself. "Come in." he said sternly, fixing some papers on his desk to keep his hands busy. The door opened and one of Leliana's man stepped inside. "A message from the Nightingale, commander. She requests your presence in the war room at once."   
Cullen sighed and nodded, grabbing the offered piece of parchment. The runner left him to his thoughts as he broke the seal and unrolled the parchment.

_Commander,_   
_We have information regarding the fabled dragon's daughter. Please join us in the war room as soon as possible._   
_Nightingale_

  
His eyebrows twitched in confusion and then in disapproval._ Dragon's daughter?_ A tale that midwives used in order to scare children? How in the Maker's name could that possibly aid the inquisition and why would they even waste their resources on such an idiotic notion? His thoughts went haywire, partly due to frustration but also because he needed to focus on something other than the pain in his skull.  
Nevertheless, he made his way to the war room, trying his best to dodge the orlesian nobility who were all oggling him like a meal. _Orlesian's and their ridiculous ruffled outfits_, he thought judgingly to himself. He had no love for them nor their so called `_Game_` of backstabbing and treachery. 

  
He arrived at his destination soon enough. Cullen pushed open the heavy wooden doors to the war room and stepped inside after closing it. Cassandra, Josephine, Leliana, the inquisitor and the leader of the rebel mages were already engaged in a deep conversation and stopped when Cullen took his place at the opposite side.  
"So," he started, earning confused looks when the others took in his tensed expression and obvious distrust. "_Fabled dragon's daughter_? You cannot possibly be serious about this, Leliana." 

  
Fiona cleared her throat awkwardly. Leliana sighed. "I am afraid I am, commander. Fiona has managed to track her down and convinced her to join our cause." she started, yet already Cullen made a disgusted noise and raised his hand to cut her off. He'd heard enough of this foolishness already.  
"You are chasing children's tales—"   
"—With all due respect commander, Lady Lunara is more than a children's tale. She is real, and _incredibly_ powerful."   
It was Fiona who had interrupted him so bluntly. Everyone eyed the confrontation warily and with unease, yet the inquisitor made no effort to interrupt the conversation, nor anyone else for that matter.  
"And have you seen this.. _dragon_.. for yourself, Grand-Enchanter Fiona?" Cullen managed to reply, his frustration clearly showing. He had no interest in this mad story or to pursue it. Fiona seemed patient with him however. "No, but I have seen her powers and what she can do with them." she responded calmly, maintaining eye contact and oozing confidence.

  
Finally, it was inquisitor Luc Trevelyan who broke the growing tension between the two, by clearing his throat and turning to Cullen. "Leliana and the grand-enchanter seem to have put trust in this woman. I say we give her the benefit of the doubt, regardless of the fact that there might be a dragon involved or no. We need someone to work with the rebel mages and how we best utilize them, and we could do well with a skilled healer on the side. There might be use for her to study the veil along with Solas, too, so there's plenty of choice on how to put her talent to use." 

  
Cullen rubbed his neck, as he so often did when the tension would get to him._ Or when social situations would turn awkward_. 

  
He already knew this was a losing battle—the inquisitor was the final word and that was that.   
He let out a sigh.  
"Alright." he finally said bluntly, not meeting the inquisitor's eyes. He felt somewhat defeated, but he trusted the inner circle, despite his personal opinions.

Luc nodded.

"Good. Because you and lady Lunara will be working closely together, with her overseeing the mages and you commanding the troops."

He didn't miss the smirk on Cassandra's face. 

_Maker's breath. _


	3. Skyhold

> _ **Lunara** _

  
The journey to Skyhold had been dreadful.

The horse provided by the inquisition couldn't make up for the cold that had crept into her bones, and even so, there were times she had to lead the majestic, beautiful beast by the rein because some parts of the mountain pass were simply too steep or slippery.  
The inquisition had also provided her with an escort. She had been offended by the offer at first; she felt perfectly capable of defending herself. Thankfully she had swallowed her pride and let the guard do his job because she'd surely have died out here on these paths; they were hard to navigate with the thick blanket of snow covering any signs of whereabouts. It was also nice to have a traveling companion again, after living in silence for so long, save from the voice in her head that belonged to Aranul. It was a welcoming change; conversing with Aranul was sometimes draining, whereas conversing with the Fereldan soldier was easy and pleasant. 

  
When they finally reached the gates of Skyhold, she let out an audible sigh. She felt the familiar pangs of hunger and was nearly frozen to the bone. It had been so long since she had a decent bath, too. She was certain that she reeked terribly.

Life as an apostate and a wanted fugitive had always prevented her from relaxing and taking proper care of herself. A lifetime ago she had been beautiful, but that was exactly what it was**—**a lifetime ago. Now, her brown locks were matted and her ribs were visible due to lack of nourishment. Her skin had turned sickly pale and her eyes had lost its lively spark. 

Lunara and the inquisition soldier both halted their mounts at a spot where other soldiers were awaiting their arrival. The moment they took hold of the reigns, Lunara dismounted. She fell face flat on the ground of exhaustion. _Such a gracious entrance_, she thought to herself in pain, feeling the pebbles poking against her cheeks.  
"My lady, are you alright?!" a shocked voice asked her before she felt two strong hands lift her up her feet. A woman stood before her, with short black hair and a scar on her cheek. Concern graced her features while she looked Lunara over for any injuries. Lunara offered her a sheepish and unconvincing smile. "Just fine. A little exhausted from the journey, is all." she offered in reply. Her muscles ached terribly, even more so after that unflattering fall.   
"I understand. Please take today to rest. Someone will show you to your chamber, with a meal and a bath so you can freshen up. I imagine it to have been quite the journey." The woman said kindly. Truthfully, Lunara hadn't expected such a warm welcome. Perhaps the years of traveling and being wary of strangers had made her overly cautious. _A little too much, maybe._  
"Thank you, lady..?" "Just Cassandra will suffice. Such formalities are better saved for the official meetings." 

  
Behind them a small group had gathered, though Lunara didn't feel up for socializing. Cassandra seemed to notice it, too, and turned to the group. "Lady Lunara is tired from her travels, as is to be expected. We'd be best off holding any official gatherings until the morning." she proposed. Judging by the tone of her voice it sounded more like a command, however. "Ofcourse, Cassandra. I didn't expect any different." a man replied. He was quite handsome, with an olive toned skin and deep brown locks. His emerald eyes held nothing but kindness as he approached Lunara. "Luc Trevelyan, my lady. A pleasure to make your acquintance. I will gladly show you to your room." he said, just as friendly. Lunara nodded with a tired smile. 

  
A different man had been eyeing her with a somewhat judgemental look. Luc, who Lunara presumed to be the inquisitor, was ready to lead her off to her quarters before the man behind them spoke up.   
"No dragon?" he mused mockingly, looking at Lunara with raised eyebrows. Lunara tensed and noticed a few bypassers looking up at them. It might have been rumored that the '_dragon's daughter_' was aiding the inquisition, but the people had yet to find out it was in fact, her. She didn't mind and would rather to continue to live in anonymity here, for her sake and Aranul's safety. 

  
Apparently the man with the stupid furry coat had a different idea. For what reason she didn't know. Maybe to humiliate her? It seemed like he had a strange superior complex and it uneased her. It somewhat reminded her of her time in the circle and her time being a venatori's captive. It rattled her nerves to put it mildly.  
Lunara shot him a bitter look. The hooded redhead woman standing next to him glared daggers at him, while the woman dressed in golden ruffles holding a wooden writing board, gasped of utter shock at his unfiltered words. "_Commander_, this is _not_ the place.." Cassandra warned him, her voice laced with venom. The commander, however, shrugged. "I merely assumed.. If there was any truth to the tale, she would be riding in on the beast and make an entrance, would she not?" he continued, his glare hardening.

  
The fury beneath her fingertips was threatening to burst. It was a good thing she was tired.   
"She is _not_ a beast and I have _nothing_ to prove to you. I am here assist the inquisition, not to parade around like some court jester. The lack of your belief is _not_ my problem, commander. Don't try to make it so." Luna spat back, shooting him one more death glare before returning her gaze to the inquisitor, who gave the commander a stern '_we will discuss this later_'- look. The commander grumbled something under his breath before storming off into the opposite direction she'd come from.

  
"I apologize for the commander's outburst, my lady. Please, take all the time you need to rest and be assured this will not happen again. And do let us know if there is anything you recquire to make your stay more pleasant." the woman dressed in golden ruffles offered earnestly. "_Oh_! Where are my manners, My name is Josephine Montiliyet. Just ask someone in inquisition clothing and they will forward the message to me." she added quickly, slightly blushing due to her misstep in her social etiquette. "Thank you, lady Montiliyet. And thank you for your kindness" Lunara said.   
The redhead next to Josephine had an unreadable expression, yet she tried to offer a forced smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Leliana, my lady. We will continue our introductions tomorrow. Please, rest, and we will see you then." Leliana said, before walking into the same direction the Commander had gone off to. 

  
The rest of the group went all their seperate ways and Luc Trevelyan offered Lunara his arm with a boyish grin. "Shall we, my lady?" 


	4. Guilt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short filler. thank you for reading!! make sure to leave a comment or feedback, i try to reply to everything!

> _ **Cullen** _

  
Another night had passed filled with constant, dreadful nightmares. The demons and terrors had been playing their familiar mind games again, like they always did once he surrendered to sleep and found himself in the fade; they were tugging at his deepest desires and fears, hoping he would finally give in. Sometimes, he was truly tempted, but he always managed to get a hold of himself regardless of how tiring it was.

He wondered to himself, when was the last time he truly had gotten a good nights sleep? 

  
It was always the same ritual. Stay up as late as possible until he got truly exhausted (as if he wasn't already), pray to the Maker for His protection, ascend the ladder in his office up to the broken floor where his bed was located, take off his armour and clothes and fall down onto the mattress. Eventually he would give up the fight to exhaustion and accept defeat, only to be hunted in his subconsciousness by all his worst memories and wrongdoings.

  
This night it had been particulary bad; it seemed as if his emotions were intensified, probably due to the stress he was under, with monitoring the troops and all that. Not to mention he was worrying over their new guest who was due to arrive the next morning. He was worried over what it would do to the inquisition and for all the risks it would bring. 

  
So, when dawn finally came and he had awoken in cold sweat with drenched sheets surrounding him, he was almost grateful for being back in the land of the living again. 

He'd splashed his face with ice cold water from the basin and quickly got in his clothes and armour. As much as he wanted to, today he didn't have the time to take a proper bath. He would save that luxury for tonight.  
He quickly went through his morning routine, though it was more like a shortened version of it as Cassandra came to his office early. Her gaze was slightly worried when she saw the darkened circles under his eyes. "Commander." she greeted with a nod, which he returned. "Lady Lunara is about to arrive. I expect you to be there, too, to properly welcome her as a part of our inner circle."   
Cullen's jawline hardened and he nodded, trying his best not to let his disapproval show. "Very well." was all he said before Cassandra left his office, most likely not even bothered by his reaction because his disdain towards the entire plan had been clear enough in the war room meeting.

  
When the clock hit eleven he left the office for the courtyard, where Cassandra was helping up an unfamiliar figure up to her feet. He figured this must be the lady and he waited for the introductions, remaining unbothered about her fall. There was a slight pang of guilt for his pettiness and immaturity, but he shoved it away just as quickly and remained his usual bitter self.  
He insulted her by asking her about her dragon, wanting to taunt her and get a rise out of her. Cassandra warned him, yet he kept going. But then he finally got a good look at her appearance.

  
The woman seemed frail and pale, with a sad gleam in her hazel eyes. She seemed malnourised and too skinny than she would actually be, had she been healthy and properly fed. Her auburn hair seemed to have lost its shine and hung over her shoulders like a greasy horse mane. 

  
Now he truly felt guilty.   
Yet she surprised him by swallowing the words he'd said and throwing his remarks back in his face. And she was right, how painful it was to admit that. 

  
Cullen was mad at everyone but most of all himself. He then stormed away back into his office to lick his wounds.

  
Once he reached his safe space he growled and slammed his fist down on his desk. Some items fell to the floor. It wasn't long before Leliana barged into his office with the expression of a storm on her face.

"Commander, have you gone completely mad?! This woman offers to help us in our darkest hours and your idea of welcoming her is to insult her on the spot?!" she all but yelled while her eyes spat fire. Cullen sat down and leant forward. "Save it, Leliana. I'm well aware of what happened." "-Then you know if you have any sense left, that the right thing to do is to apologize for your actions."   
She was right. The conflict in him was unlike his true nature, but he was just so.. _tired_. The lyrium withdrawals felt like a slow paced terminal disease that wasn't just affecting him physically, but also mentally. _Emotionally_.

"I will." he said, making the promise right there and then to himself.  
"See to it. And let this refrain from ever happening again."   
The door slammed shut and he was left alone to his thoughts.

  
And he wondered, how in Maker's name he would ever be able to undo the damage, and let his new colleague see him in a different light. 


End file.
